Death Of Elephant Ned Reinforces IDA's Demand For Action

Death Highlights USDA Failure To Protect Captive
Elephants And Enforce Federal Law - Other Abused Elephants Are In Jeopardy

We are deeply saddened to report that the elephant Ned, who was
confiscated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in
November 2008 and sent to The Elephant Sanctuary thanks to the diligence of
IDA, has passed away. Ned's sad life was filled with abuse and suffering,
but in his last six months he finally experienced love, caring and trust.

Despite the sanctuary's heroic efforts to heal Ned, his body appears to
have been too damaged from his years of abuse. Only 21 years old, Ned left
us far too soon. Amazingly, he died just 12 hours after the passing of
Bunny, another of the sanctuaryís elephants and the first to die from
natural causes related to old age.

Nedís passing is a tragic reminder of the inaction of the USDA, which
waited until Ned was at death's door before confiscating him. Our staff will
work hard in Ned's memory to force the USDA to fulfill its mandate to uphold
our nation's animal welfare laws before it is too late for Tina, Jewel,
Queenie, Val and other elephants who are victims of abuse at the hands of
the circus and zoo industries.

Read more about Nedís passing below.

1) Email Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and demand that his agency
start to enforce the Animal Welfare Act to protect elephants. The USDA must
start by confiscating Jewel, Tina and Queenie and send them to an elephant
sanctuary.

We are not including a prepared letter for you on this alert, as we want
your letters to be unique and from the heart. Please tell the Secretary in
your own words how you feel about the USDA's slowness in protecting
elephants in trouble.

Please copy your letter to your U.S. Senators and Representative. You can
find their contact information by entering your zip code here.

2) Join IDA's Elephant Task Force and stay up-to-date with news you can
use to help elephants in captivity.

Here is our news release on the death of Ned for you to use to help
compose your e-mail:

Washington, DC - The tragic death of Ned, a 21-year old male elephant at
The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, may have been prevented had the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) not waited until the elephant was at
death's door to confiscate him from an abusive trainer, the animal
protection organization In Defense of Animals (IDA) charged today.

"Similar inaction by the USDA, charged with enforcing the Animal Welfare
Act (AWA), is jeopardizing the lives of other captive elephants," said IDA
President Elliot M. Katz, DVM. Currently at risk is an emaciated elephant
named Jewel, who continues to travel and perform in circuses despite her
debilitated condition, her handler's chronic violations of animal welfare
law and her possible infection with the human form of tuberculosis.

"Ned had an absolutely tragic life and the USDA knew about his
life-threatening situation almost a year before it acted to confiscate him,"
said Dr. Katz. "Despite The Elephant Sanctuary's heroic efforts, it was too
late for Ned. How many more elephants have to die before the USDA starts
fulfilling its legal responsibility to enforce our nation's animal welfare
law?"

The USDA confiscated Ned in November 2008 after complaints by IDA and
others about his emaciated appearance prompted the first agency inspection
in ten months, despite prior findings that Ned was extremely underweight.
Nedís trainer, Lance Kollman, had been ordered to keep regular records of
Nedís weight, but nobody from the USDA ever followed up to note that he was
failing to do so. This was despite investigations dating to 2000 into the
care Kollman provided to animals, prompted by the sudden and unexplained
death of his familyís previous elephant. At the time of his confiscation,
Ned was noted to be at least a ton underweight.

Other elephants whom the USDA has jeopardized due to inaction include:

Tina, Jewel and Queenie, who remain in the hands of a trainer who has
repeatedly abused and failed to properly care for them. Despite chronic AWA
violations, the USDA has refused to revoke the trainer's license. All three
elephants remain on the road and are losing weight, two for the second time
in as many years. Jewel is shockingly emaciated, ill and frail in
appearance.

Dehli was found by the USDA in 2002 to be "in a serious health emergencyĒ
after sustaining severe chemical burns to both front legs. (Her "owner" had
used undiluted formaldehyde to soak her feet causing both of her front legs
to be swollen to twice their normal size). It took a full 20 months after
this finding for the USDA to take action to remove the critically injured
elephant from her abuser and send her to The Elephant Sanctuary.

In 2001, the USDA found that Lota was losing weight. By the time she
reached the Sanctuary in November of 2004, she was so ill from tuberculosis
that she only lived another 2 ? months.
Just last week, IDA wrote to the Secretary of Agriculture demanding that the
agency confiscate Tina, Jewel and Queenie. There has been no reply, and the
elephants remain unprotected by the federal agency empowered to save them.
Despite the fact that in 2006 IDA filed a citizenís petition with the USDA
to compel the agency to enforce the AWA at zoos and circuses, where
elephants are suffering from inadequate care, the USDAís negligent
enforcement of the AWA continues.

In Defense of Animals, located in San Rafael, Calif., is an international
animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters
dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting
their rights and welfare. IDA's efforts include educational events, cruelty
investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through
our sanctuaries in Mississippi, Mumbai, India, and Cameroon, Africa.

In Defense of Animals is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We
welcome your feedback and appreciate your donations. Please join today! All
donations to IDA are tax-deductible.